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Council OKs permit-fee waiver to incentivize solar; logo use agreement with Grow Solar program approved
Summary
The common council approved a residential and commercial solar permit-fee waiver and a separate agreement allowing use of the city logo with Grow Solar Milwaukee Waukesha. The fee-waiver resolution passed 12-2 after a split vote over fiscal messaging; the logo agreement passed unanimously.
The City of Wauwatosa Common Council approved two Community Affairs Committee items to promote residential and commercial solar installation: a new annual permit-fee waiver program and an agreement letting Grow Solar Milwaukee Waukesha use the City of Wauwatosa logo for its 2025 group purchasing program.
Alder Lowe moved approval of both items; Alder Franzen seconded. Alder Morgan asked for a separate vote on the fee-waiver resolution, saying the city should be cautious about waiving a revenue source while budget pressures remain. "It just kind of seems that [waiving fees is] not the best message to send be waiving fees at a time when we're facing tough fiscal issues," Morgan said. He said he might support a tiered approach that favors smaller residential properties but opposed the blanket waiver as presented.
The permit-fee waiver passed 12-2; aldermen Mindel and Morgan voted no. The separate agreement allowing Grow Solar Milwaukee Waukesha to use the city logo for promotion of a 2025 solar group-buy program passed unanimously; Alder Mindel asked staff to provide yearly return-on-investment data for the program and noted the city has a sustainability coordinator who can help compile results.
What the resolutions do: The first resolution establishes an annual permit-fee waiver program to incentivize solar-panel installations on residential and commercial buildings. The second authorizes use of the City of Wauwatosa logo by Grow Solar Milwaukee Waukesha for its 2025 group purchasing program. Committee recommendation on both items was 6-0.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with implementation of the fee-waiver program and the logo agreement; Alder Mindel requested periodic reporting on program ROI and staff said the sustainability coordinator could provide data.
